Box and closure therefor



Aug. 8, 1950 E. SCHALL' 2,518,256

BOX AND CLOSURE THEREFOR Filed Feb. 25, 1948 zww 197' ORA/E Y Patented Aug. 8, 1950 BOX AND CLOSURE THEREFOR Egon Schall, London, England, assignor to ltoy Tallent Limited, Darlington, England, a British company Application February 25, 1'948, Serial'N0. 10,737

In Great Britain April 17, 1946 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires April 1'7, 1966 This invention relates to boxes and closures therefor, and aims at providing a box which, whichever of its two opposite broadv sides is ,directed uppermost, will, on pressing in the protr-uding nose of a spring plunger catch, open as a spring lid. Thus with the cavity, above an 1ntermediate partition, on each of the, respective two broad sides of the box, filled with different articles, such as a lipstick and/or powder compact in one cavity and cigarettes inthe other cavity, one or the other cavit can be exposed to provide access to its contents by directing the respective broad side of the box upwards and pressing in the spring plunger catch.

To this end, according to theinvention, both broad sides of a box are eachclosed by a springopened hinged lid, and a spring-protruded plunger protruding through a narrow side of the box has pivoted to its inner end a rocking cross bar extending transversely behind such narrow side and terminating at each end in a hook nose engaging behind a lip on the inside of the respective lid, with gravity-operated means obstructing inward displacement of the hook end of the cross bar which happens to be downwardly directed.

The gravity-operated means which obstructs the inward displacement of the downwardly directed hook end of the cross bar of the spring catch is, for instance, either a weighted arm pivoted in the .box or is a ball or pellet in a guide channel, dropping by gravity.

In order to enable the invention to be more readily understood, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate diagrammatically and by way of example, two embodiments thereof, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation;

Fig. 2 is a plan; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section on the line 33 of Figs. 1 and 2, of one embodiment.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section of the line 5-5 of Fig. 4, showing a modification; and

Fig. 6 is a detail.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3, a denotes a shallow metal box, one broad side of which is a springopening hinged lid 2) and the other opposite broad side of'which is a spring-opening hinged lid 0.

The two opposite lids b, c of the box are hinged to the rear of the box and close against the front of the box, where they are engaged and held closed by a spring plunger catch. This spring plunger catch comprises a rounded nose metal plate (2, sliding in a slot in the narrow side of the box which forms the front of the box a. At its 6 Claims. Cl. 206-15) v inner end, this plate plunger 01 is formed. with a bore extending transversely within the thickness of the plate, and through which a spring wire bow 6 extends, to :project on each side thereof, where the wire e is held in sockets ,f secured to the inner face of the front of the box. The inner end of the plate plunger d is also notched to receive a doubly hook nose ended cross bar g which is pivoted to the plate plunger d by ,the spring Wire bow 6 extending through a hole in themidlength of the cross bar g.

The hook noses at the two ends of the cross 'bar g respectively engage over a lip on each lid 19, c and hold the lids closed. f

I A weighted arm h is pivoted towards one end of the box a and its free end drops by gravity behind that end of the cross bar g which .hape pens to be directed downwards. Owing toxthe. downwardly directed end of the cross bar g being obstructed by the Weighted arm h, only the up}: wardly directed hook end of the cross bar g is displaced inwards to release its lid when the plate plunger (1, is pressed in. Thus only the lid which happens to be on top can then open. The free end of the weighted arm h is supported by a guide i from being pushed inwards.

In the alternative construction shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the downwardly directed end of the cross bar g is obstructed by a ball or pellet a, dropping in a guide channel It.

The two lids b, c of the box a are flanged to fit snugly against and close the two alternative mouths of the box.

A compartment in the cavity closed by the one lid, which may have a mirror on its inside face, may be fitted with a lid-closed frame for a powder compact alongside of which is a blade spring anchored at one end and arranged partially to eject a lipstick holder. None of these are shown as they are common in vanity cases.

I claim:

1. In a box, two spring-opened lids respectively each closing a diiferent side of two opposite sides of said box, a plunger protruding through a side of said box remote from the hinges of said lids, a spring anchored to said box and pressing said plunger outwards, a cross bar extending perpendicularly to and pivoted at its mid-length to the inner end of said plunger and terminating at each end in a hook nose respectively engaging and holding closed a different lid of said lids, and means dropping by gravity and obstructing inward displacement of the hook nose end of said cross bar which happens to be downwardly directed,

2. in a box, two spring-opened lids respectively each closing a different side of two opposite sides of said box, a, plunger protruding through a side of said box ,remote from the hinges of said lids, a spring anchored to ,said box and pressing said plunger outwards, a cross bar extending perpendicularly to and pivoted at its mid-length to the inner end of said plunger and terminating at each end in a hook nose respectively engaging and holding closed a different lid of .said lids, and ,a weighted arm pivoted inside said :box and ob.- structing inward displacement of the hook nose end of said cross bar which happ ns to be dow wardly directed.

3. In a box, two spring-opened lids respectively each closing a diiferent side of twoioppositesides of said box, a plunger protruding througha side of said box remote from the hinges of said lids, a spring anchored to said box and pressing said plunger outwards, a cross bar extending perpendicularlyto-and pivoted at its mid-lengthto the inner end of said plunger and terminatingat each end in a hook nose respectively engaging and holdling closed a different lid of said lids, and a pellet guided inside saidbox and obstructinginward displacement of the hook nose end o f said across ibar which happens to be downwardly directed.

4. In abox, two spring-opened lids respectively each closing a different side of twoo-ppositepides of said box, a plunger protruding through a side ofrsaid box *remote from the hinges of 'said lids and havinga notch at its inner end, a spring=wire bow extending transversely through said plunger and anchored at its ends to said -box,a cross bar extending perpendicular to said plunger and pivoted-at its mid-length in said "notch on said spring wire bow and terminating a't'each end in a hook nose respectively engaging and holding closed :a difierent lid-of-said lids, and -means-dropping by gravityand obstructinginward'displacemerit :of the hook nose end of said "cross bar which happens to be downwardly directed.

and anchored at its ends to said box, a cross bar extending perpendicular to said plunger and pivoted at its mid-length in said notch on said spring wire bow and terminating at each end in a heel; nose respectively engaging and holding closed a diiierent lid of said lids, and a weighted arm piv oted inside said box and obstructing inward displacement of the hook nose end of said cross bar which happens to be downwardly directed.

6. Inabox, two spring-opened lids respectively eachclosing a diiferent side of two opposite sides of said box, a plunger protruding through a side of said box remote from the hinges of said lids and'havinga notchat its inner end a spring-wire bow extending transversely'throughsaid plunger and anchored at its ends to said box, a cross bar extending perpendicular to said plunger and pivoted at its mid-length in said notch on said spring wire bow and terminating at each end in a hool; nose respectively engaging and holding closed a different lid of said lids, and a pellet guided inside said *box and obstructing inward displacement of the hook nose end of said cross bar which happens to be downwardly directed.

:EGQN JSCIEIAT-L, BEFERENQES 01mm The following references are ,of record in the file of this patent;

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name 7 Date 612,572 Robertson :Oct. :18, 1898 l, 7,33;772 "Battershell :Oct. 29, $929 

